The bass icon and star singer-songwriter from L.A. told us about the game-changing music discovery of his youth and his forever Montreal friend: “This man’s had to carry me out the club.”
This article originally appeared in Cult MTL.
Thundercat may have been born and raised in Los Angeles, but his connection to Montreal’s musical history runs deeper than you think.
The six-string bass-wielding virtuoso born Stephen Lee Bruner went from playing bass for nine years in seminal California thrash metal band Suicidal Tendencies to finding huge success with his own music and collaborations with Flying Lotus, Kendrick Lamar, Justice, his late friend Mac Miller and Montreal’s own Kaytranada. Thundercat’s musical versatility is boundless, and has only expanded and evolved with time.
I had the pleasure of meeting Thundercat IRL at the W Hotel in Square-Victoria before his latest Jazz Fest show at Place des Arts in July — he’d previously played a thrilling free outdoor show on a sweltering summer night at the festival in 2023.
Though he hasn’t released an album since 2020’s It Is What It Is, Thundercat told me he’s actively trying to wrap up work on its follow-up. (In mid-September, he treated fans to dual singles produced with Greg Kurstin, “I Wish I Didn’t Waste Your Time” and “Children of the Baked Potato,” featuring Remi Wolf — two great tracks and a hopeful signal of more new music to come.)
We also chatted about his long-held adoration for Gino Vannelli, his friendship with Kaytranada and that time he woke up on a Montreal park bench after a drunken night out.
Dave MacIntyre: You mentioned during your Jazz Fest show two years ago that you really love Gino Vannelli. Tell me more about that.
Thundercat: Oh my God. Discovering Gino Vannelli as a young man was very pivotal in my songwriting and music-creating. I remember I found Gino Vannelli because my brother picked up the record Brother to Brother, sampled it and made a beat out of it. I was like, “Oh, crap, what is this?” I listened to “Appaloosa” for the first time straight through, and I was like, “Oh, my God.” I was like, “This is the best thing ever.” From Brother to Brother, I just went down a rabbit hole.
DM: That’s amazing, because in Montreal, we don’t necessarily know how our local artists are perceived abroad.
Thundercat: “Living Inside Myself” is still one of the most profound songs as a young man to listen to. He was very expressive. Not too many songwriters were that expressive with their feelings about life. Gino takes the cake for me when it comes to songwriting like that. It kind of molded my mind and shaped what I wanted people to understand about who I am.
He’s not pulling any punches musically at all. My whole history is riddled with Gino Vannelli’s music. I got a chance to talk to him. I got a chance to play my music for him. I think my piano player used to play with him a bit — Dennis Hamm. The part where he’s around and he’s still doing his thing, to me, is just aahhhhhh!
DM: 73 years old!
Thundercat: Yeah. Still kicking ass and taking names.
DM: Did you meet him in person or on Zoom or what?
Thundercat: It was over FaceTime, because I was somewhere in the process of working on my music. It’s one of those things where I know at some point we’ll meet face to face. I’m hoping we will meet face to face so I can express my love for his work in person. We love Gino Vannelli over here.
DM: During that 2023 show, why did you dedicate “Them Changes” to him specifically?
Thundercat: Because of everything I just described to you. That’s me wearing my heart on my sleeve. That’s what Gino taught me.
DM: What goes through your mind when you think of Montreal as a city and the previous times you’ve been in town?
Thundercat: I think I’ve enjoyed every time I’ve come to Montreal, other than the customs — good God! You just steal a bag of Funyuns and you’re forever right on the edge of going back to jail after landing in Montreal’s customs. But I have a lot of beautiful memories of being here in Montreal. I kid you not, I will find a reason to get out on the street and sing Gino Vannelli’s “I Just Wanna Stop” (laughs). I will be screaming that at people. It happened last night, literally.
A good friend of mine is an artist from here named MissMe. She reminded me of a story. She was like, “You remember what happened?”
First of all, starting a story with me like, “Do you remember what happened eight years ago?” No! Hell no, I don’t remember, especially if I was drinking. But she was like, “You remember, we lost you? You just wandered off and you just got lost completely. We couldn’t find you, and your phone was dead.” I was like, “Oh yeah. I woke up on a park bench!” I just woke up on a park bench to some kid standing next to me, like, “Are you Thundercat?” I was just like, “Can you help me?” (laughs) You just land into full-on partying.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/3qA2zGAH4jI?feature=oembed“Children of the Baked Potato” by Thundercat feat. Remi Wolf
DM: Speaking of Montreal, you also have worked with Kaytranada on the song “Be Careful.” How close are you to him?
Thundercat: Kaytranada is one of my favourite people. Kaytra is one of the people who actually makes me happy as a person. I feel like he’s always understood me as a friend and as a musician. We’ve never not been able to see each other. He’s seen me through some of my darkest moments. He and I have a great friendship, and I’m grateful that we can always come back to that. This man’s had to carry me out the club. (laughs) He’s seen that I’ve gone way too far, and he’s like, “I’ll just make sure he gets in the car.”
DM: What do you have planned for the remainder of 2025?
Thundercat: Beat the shit out of my dick. (laughs) No, I’m just kidding. Just keep trying to find things that inspire, and practise more. Play more. Get out of my head more. Try to keep my heart open, even though the world has a way of shutting it. Play faster. Hope they don’t ruin Sonic the Hedgehog 4. I feel like we ruin everything for no reason. Everybody goes, “Are you excited for the Marvel movies?” I read the comics every day — not in particular! And yeah, just enjoy the music. ■
Dave MacIntyre 